Soprano Kim bows out of Lyric’s “Magic Flute”

Mon Oct 24, 2011 at 6:08 pm

By Lawrence A. Johnson

Audrey Luna

Kathleen Kim has taken herself out of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s upcoming production of The Magic Flute, stating that she has removed the role of the Queen of the Night from her repertoire, the company said late Monday.

Audrey Luna will take her place and sing the villainess role in all performances of the Lyric Opera’s Mozart revival.

“We are delighted that the gifted American soprano Audrey Luna, who has extensive experience as the Queen of the Night, is available to sing this thrilling and demanding role for all regular-season performances and also for the student matinees,” said general director Anthony Freud in a statement released by the company.

In The Classical Review account of her performance of Pamina’s villainous mother at Santa Fe Opera in 2010, Luna started the evening cautiously but delivered her second aria “with more security and great panache.”

The Magic Flute opens Dec. 6. lyricopera.org; 312-332-2244.

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One Response to “Soprano Kim bows out of Lyric’s “Magic Flute””

  1. Posted Oct 25, 2011 at 11:13 am by Frank

    Queen of the Night was never IN Ms. Kim’s rep. This is a fundamental issue when you have a “lay” person casting shows with no musical training, no musical education, and doesn’t have knowledge of operatic rep. This is becoming a problem with some companies as the Artistic Directors who are the ones responsible for casting choices are either being let go and then not being replaced, or are being promoted from within the company without the proper skills needed to do this very specific job of casting appropriately. Just because one has “high notes” doesn’t make her a queen of the night as the arias are drastically different and difficult.

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